Page 44 of When The Night Falls

Horribly uncomfortable, I tensed in my seat. At the very best, this was wildly inappropriate, and if he was still adamant about getting me into bed with him, things were going to end in chaos.

He sighed and tossed the contract on his desk. ‘When Theresa told me who she’d hired for the position, she mentioned a girl named Cara, studying law. Not Sandra, studying medicine, in fucking Edinburgh.’ He leaned back. ‘At least I’ve got your number now.’

‘What do you want me to say?’ I retorted defensively.

‘I’d like an apology.’

‘Well, I’m sorry, Will. It wasn’t personal.’

He nodded and clenched his teeth.

My eyebrows furrowed. ‘You have to see why this won’t work.’

He glared at me, and I nearly withered under the heat of it. ‘I don’t. You’ll only be here for three months. Had it been indefinite, we’d be having a different conversation, but it’s not. We’re also adults; we should be able to work our way round it.’

‘How do you think John would react if he knew? Or Theresa?’ I said sceptically.

He grimaced at the mere idea.

‘Exactly,’ I said and crossed my arms.

‘There won’t be any reason for concern unless we behave in a way that warrants it. If you can manage, I guarantee I will too.’ He shook his head, and I thought he looked a bit sad. ‘I’d hate to see you waste an opportunity like this, especially when knowing it would be my fault.’

My chest tingled. I hadn’t expected him to be primarily concerned about how this could affect my future.

I took a deep breath. ‘Listen, if we’re going to do this, I’d like to make one thing clear. I will not have sex with you again. Do I need to explain why, or are you on board with that?’

I couldn’t believe what I had done. Never in my life had I managed something so outrageous before. I had slept with my best friend’s brother. Not only that, but he was also going to be my boss for three months. The part of me that had wanted to meet him again had been completely obliterated in the wake of this. I could not get romantically involved with this man. He was completely off limits.

I wondered whether I ought to tell Jason, but immediately decided that I wouldn’t. Since it had only been a one-night stand, I thought he would be better off not knowing. Informing him was simply unnecessary, as it wouldn’t happen again.

Aloofness spilled from William’s eyes while his heart-shaped lips formed a straight line. Added together, his expression made it impossible to guess his thoughts.

‘With all due respect, Cara, who says I’d want to?’

My breath hitched. Right. I hadn’t thought of that. For a moment, I considered myself despicably conceited. He was the professional between us. Of course he would abandon the idea now that our circumstances had changed. On top of that, he had just discovered that I had lied to him when we met. I wouldn’t blame him if the revelation had changed his opinion of me.

‘Right. That should make things easier.’ I managed to sound stoical, but behind my pretence, I was hiding an awfully bruised ego. Being a woman that William Night desired was the most significant boost I’d had in a long time. At the same time, I had meant for it to turn out this way, so why did I feel so upset? My feelings weren’t justified.

‘Good. Anyway, we can’t really afford to spend more time on this matter,’ he said. ‘I’m a busy man, and people are counting on me to perform according to schedule. On that note, you should prepare for three intense months.’

It hadn’t been necessary to tell me that. I was strapping up for the most challenging three months I would probably ever have to endure, and it wasn’t strictly due to the tasks I would be delegated. It was also because I would be facing intensity in the flesh for the better part of ninety days.

I nodded as I guided myself into a more professional frame of mind.

William grabbed the contract and leaned toward me. Now close again, the scent of him struck me with merciless force. Immediately, I was sent down memory lane and into his bedroom, where his alluring scent was etched into the walls, and where his naked skin caressed and guided mine.

I was certain my pupils were dilated when I looked at the contract, though I could barely make sense of a single letter. I was much too distracted by my lust for the testosterone-bomb beside me.

I realised at that moment that there were two sides to this. I was divided. One part of me wanted to fuck him for eternity. The other was adamant about remaining sensible, and sensible did not favour erotic thoughts of William Night when taking our new circumstances into account.

But I wasn’t deluded. There was no point in denying that I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. To claim anything else would be an absolute lie. My whole body tingled where I sat, aching for his sexual attention. He was the sexiest man I had ever encountered, both in mind and body, and he was my best friend’s brother, as well as my future boss. Really, he was Satan in a Sunday hat.

Fuck.

He started speaking again, and like a siren, his voice summoned me to my doom. ‘Your tasks will mainly include that of a paralegal’s. Although I’ll be your supervisor for the span of the placement, Elisabeth will be teaching you the basics the first few days. She’s a full-time paralegal, close to your age – twenty-five – and very kind and patient. I’ll make the introductions once I’ve guided you through the contract. If you have any questions, don’t be shy. Tell me to stop, and I’ll explain the implications to the best of my ability. Understood?’

He was awfully authoritative, and although I didn’t like to admit it, it had a direct line to my libido. When I had thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, he proved me wrong. William, when focused and professional, was devastatingly attractive. As he was right then, I could watch him for a lifetime, endlessly aroused and fascinated.

---